New Maternity Shirt

Why, yes! That IS an image of me, 35 weeks pregnant, wearing an early 70's era Penguins jersey! Thank you for asking! How did I get it? Interesting story!

My father has always been a weird man. His support of various sports teams has surrounded underdogs and misfits (the man grew up in Eagles country a die-hard Coywboys fan, after all). Evidently, back in the 70s, he supported the Pens, even though they sort of sucked.

At that time, he had a baby (my sister) and a wife (Deb). He and Deb decided to get divorced and Deb took the Pens jersey with her on the way out, giving it to Chuck, my dad's brother.

So, for roughly 30 years, this beat up old Pens jersey--that may or may not have been an actual practice jersey for Dave Burrows--sat in my uncle Chuck's closet. I don't even think Chuck watches hockey. Not that I ever saw my dad watch hockey.

I never really watched hockey, either, until I started dating this Australian dude who loved Mario Lemieux like I love rugby. So all the hockey I've watched in life has been either Penn State Icers hockey or Pittsburgh Penguins hockey. I digress.

A few days ago, my parents were eating dinner with Chuck, who said he had a gift for me--the jersey! The long lost jersey! It occurred to Chuck as the Pens made the playoffs that I should have it.

Everyone started freaking out--first, how soon could my mom get it to me to wear and help the Pens to victory? My dad wanted to know why his brother had stolen his precious jersey all these years. My older sister wanted to know why she wasn't the rightful recipient of the game sweater (she didn't even know what the Stanley Cup was, so that argument ended right there).

Needless to say, it arrived in today's mail, just in time for the game, and it fits over my pregnant belly. I shall wear it all this week. It will be like my playoff beard, this holy, well-loved, tattered, actual 1970s era Penguins jersey. It has real armpit stains! Who knows where this shirt has been?!

UPDATE: My dad has added new information. Uncle Chuck says the jersey definitely is a real life practice jersey worn by an actual Penguin. My dad says the jersey came from 1972, when his first wife traveled to Pittsburgh for a field hockey tournament (high school, you know...) and purchased it. That would make it for real a Dave Burrows jersey, possibly stained with his defensive genius.

I also want to point out that I had the jersey on all evening, and then made myself a watermelon/coconut drink. I turned around, all ready to sip my new not-booze, and banged into the wall and spilled watermelon all down the front. The result? No drink, had to take off the jersey to clean it, and the Pens went down 2-1. I scrubbed the juice out and slapped the wet jersey back on my body, and we went up 3-2. Just saying.